


Hope Soaring On Metal Wings

by bpdperidot



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, I guess I'll add as I go, i promise its not super angsty, idk how else to really tag this, lapis and peridot destroy capitalism, lapis is bourgeois as fuck, peridot deserves better
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-25
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-05-13 13:19:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14749617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bpdperidot/pseuds/bpdperidot
Summary: Peridot, a factory worker, and Lapis, the daughter of a merchant, never thought they'd take down the government just by building a plane.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> the chapters will probably be a little short at first but they'll get longer as i go

Nighttime pressed into every corner of the small alley in which a tall, dark figure stood, the shadows almost suffocating. There were no stars above, nor a moon providing light to break into the pervasive darkness that shrouded everything. The figure's posture was tight and rigid, drawn into themselves, one of anxiety and uncertainty, shuffling feet and gaze cast around frequently, scanning for dangers that could be lurking in the shadows and around every corner.

They had a reason to be here, so they resisted the urge to find safety, however much their brain screamed at them to, to leave with haste and to never look back, to seek their safety in a brightly lit home and locked doors.

Their gaze landed on overflowing trash cans and various vermin that rummaged around, not daring to get too close to the figure that lay in wait. They curled their lip at the garbage that had accumulated, and the smell that assaulted their nose. In addition, a faint whiff of cigarette smoke drifted into the alley, and the figure shook their head in disgust.

_Where are they? Have I been set up?_

A strong, brisk wind blew through the alley, causing the figure to draw into themselves even more and pull their small coat tight around them as the sound of footsteps approached. They drew back into the shadows quickly, feeling small and vulnerable in the moonless night.

_Please don't be city guards..._

The footsteps continued to get closer, setting the figure's pulse racing, hoping desperately that they're not caught for loitering and for possible illicit activity.

They sighed silently in relief as the heavy footsteps stopped before they reached them and allowed themselves to relax a bit before a gruff voice spoke in a rough whisper.

"Ring any bells?"

The figure's head snapped up as they startled, clapping a hand over their mouth before they screamed, relaxing quickly as they recognized the phrase. It's the call-and-response signal. They drew in a breath and stepped out as they responded quietly with, "Not lately."

Soft light from a nearby window glowed on the tan woman's skin as she stepped out of the shadows to face the voice that greeted her, it belonging to the first of a trio of men sporting trench coats and sunglasses to obscure any identifying features.

She let out a breath of relief that she didn't know she was holding, keeping her hands in front of her and in sight, wringing them in worry. These were the people she'd been waiting for.

"You got the cash?" was hastily whispered by the first figure, head swiveling, looking around fertively for any potential danger.

_Right to business, then._

"Yeah, I got the cash." she whispered quickly, reaching into her pocket and drawing out a large wad of money, a blue lock of hair falling into her face as she looked down, brushing it out of her face as she looked back up and showed it to the figure. "You got the goods?"

The figure nodded ever so slightly and responded with, "Yeah, I got the goods. Now put the money on the ground and step back."

The woman complied, gently placing the wad of cash on the ground and taking a step back from it, hands in the air, in fear of being cheated out of her money, or worse- being kidnapped or killed or- she internally shook her head to dispel the thoughts, figuring it wasn't good to dwell on that now.

_Now's not the time. Focus on the deal._

Her attention was brought back to the situation at hand by movement from the first figure stepping forwards, stooping down to pick up the money before feathering through the stack. Satisfied, they pocketed the cash and signaled to one of the guards, causing an uptick in the pulse of the woman, her thoughts racing, and the atmosphere suddenly suffocating.

Her eye was drawn by the movement of the second figure, watching as a briefcase was pulled into view, and popped open with a small click. The night obscured the object within, and woman tensed slightly as her mind conjured many scenarios, all of which were worst-case.

The first figure turned halfway to grab what was in the briefcase, slowly pulling a long tube into the light, capped on each end with rubber. She allowed herself to relax as she recognized the container, hoping that it contained what she had just paid for.

The figure offered the tube for her to take, and she reached out with slightly trembling hands to grasp it before the figure let it go. She drew it towards herself, keeping a tight grip, to the point that her knuckles were white.

She worked at pulling one of the ends off, as the tube provided some resistance to being opened. She gave a satisfied grunt as she pulled the contents out into the night, quickly glancing over it before the figure hissed at her, "Are you insane? Put that away before you get caught!"

She stuffed the contents back into the tube in surprise, closing it quickly.

The figure nodded and whispered, "Good, now never speak to anyone what happened here tonight."

Those were the figure's parting words, gruff and to the point. The trio turned and left in the direction in which they came, quick and silent, leaving the woman in the alley alone with the contraband she had just paid for.

She dove into the shadows quickly when it hit her that she was alone again. It hadn't come to her attention until now that she had nowhere to hide the contraband as she made her way back. Her jeans, t-shirt and light jacket provided little cover to hide the tube.

She took a few breaths to calm herself before she remembered which way she'd come from, keeping to the shadows and avoiding light as she made her way back, hiding behind pipes and trash cans, making extreme care that nobody saw her on her return journey. She retraced her steps, arriving at some kind of work shed. She fidgeted as she desperately fumbled for her keys, hoping that she wouldn't be seen.

She dove inside as fast as she could once the door was unlocked, only sighing in relief and allowing herself to relax when the door was closed and locked behind her. Her racing pulse slowed as she let out a massive sigh of relief.

She internally celebrated as she made her way quickly over to a large worktable, shoving everything on it out of the way.

 _I did it!_ she thought as she pulled the contents of the tube out, spreading them out on the table. _I won't be just Lapis, the merchant's daughter, I'll be the first person to leave Diamond City in decades!_

What had been spread out on the table were the blueprints to a plane.

 

\------

 

_'Be glad you don't work in the factory!' they say, 'Be glad you're not working class!' they say. Yeah, well, it's not like we have much of a choice._

The mutinous thoughts belonged to a young woman, a bright orange glow highlighting the disgusted sneer adorning her face. Those who looked down on the people they profited from were despicable, in her eyes, a hatred towards them harbored within herself.

That sentiment was a common one. Most, if not all, of the working class thought the same way, in addition to resenting the fact that they were too powerless to do anything about it.

The ringing of metal on metal met her ears as her hammer struck the red-hot piece on her anvil, it yielding to the blows and forming to the shape that she desired. Well, the shape that her superiors desired. Many finished parts laid to the side, piled up as she finished them, ignored in favor of the current piece.

That's all her work was. _You make shit, and then you die._

She shook her head in disgust as the made the final touches to the piece that she'd been working on, shoving it into her cooling trough with more force than necessary, steam rising into the air as the water hissed from the contact with the hot metal. The fact that she was being exploited for her labor pissed her off more than anything, and that she was getting almost nothing from it while lining the pockets of the rich was a close second.

_We shouldn't be treated like shit just for existing._

The sole enjoyable thing about her job was that she could vent her anger and frustration through her work, channeling her loathing into the parts she made by beating the shit out of them. In a way, being a blacksmith was cathartic.

Sometimes she hoped that the parts she made would carry the weight of her loathing, somehow influencing the life of the shitty rich merchant that sold it, in order to fuck it up and ruin it.

_So much for wishful thinking. It's never done me any good._

She shoved another piece of scrap metal into her forge, the heat causing beads of sweat to form on her forehead and the back of her neck, dampening the strikingly blonde hair that almost glowed in the obscenely bright light.

She grunted irritably as she wiped the sweat off her forehead before pulling the now red-hot metal out of her forge with tongs, laying it on the anvil to begin the process of making yet another part of which she'll never see any profit from.

Hammer gripped tightly in her hand, she began to shape the scrap into a facsimile of the ones made before it, her teeth gritted as she beat her rage into the metal, sparks flying with every strike.

She would have found the long days of hard labor tiring ten years ago, but now her body and her mind were hardened to the task, in a perpetual state of exhaustion, yet still strong.

_Labor becomes meaningless when you've been forced to do the same damn job since you were fifteen years old. A decade of my life and my late teen years, stolen from me._

She sighed deeply and relaxed as she shoved the newly finished part into the cloudy gray water of her cooling trough, the familiar hiss of steam meeting her ears. She slumped over and cradled her head in her hands, shaking her head slowly.

She flinched slightly as the sound signalling the end of the day blared through the factory, letting the harried and tired workers know that the hellish workday was over.

_Now I'm one day closer to death, and to spending another eternity in hell._

She rose to her feet to close her station, grunting as her knees protested, sore from sitting for a solid eight hours.

She grumbled as she closed up, throwing water from her cooling trough onto the coals in the forge to kill the flames and cool it down, and begrudgingly packaged up the parts she'd completed.

_No doubt that this is gonna line the pockets of some already rich merchant..._

She scoffed as she pulled her gloves off, tucking them in her apron before sending off the packaged parts for shipment. She turned her back on the parts in order to leave, trying to contain her disgust at the system that exploited her.

She pushed the goggles that had protected her eyes from the light of her forge up onto her forehead, revealing freckles that were scattered across her pale skin, crossing the bridge of her nose and dotting around her eyes, as well as pushing back her sweaty hair to reveal a vaguely triangular-shaped scar on her forehead.

She squinted at the now-blurry world, looking down to rummage through her apron for the round glasses that made her look like a nerd, in her opinion.

 _C'mon... Where are they..?_ She squinted harder, her face lighting up in triumph as her fingers closed around them. _There!_

She pulled them out before placing them on her face, the world returning to clarity, not that it really improved anything.

_I like the world much better with my glasses off, but I have to put them on and face the hideousness._

The line to clock out was long and slow-moving, as each person had to be clocked out by a guard. She tapped her foot impatiently, wishing that the line would hurry up so that she could get home and pass out on the couch from exhaustion.

She finally reached the guard, a large woman with a glare like daggers, stripes of vitiligo crossing her face. She suppressed a shiver, handing the guard her ID card, and fidgeted anxiously as the guard clocked her out. It felt like an eternity before the guard gave her the card back, and she scurried away once she was sure she was free to go.

Her heart pounded as she neared the entrance to the factory, never happier to leave and see the dismal gray sky. She was joined by a large, stocky man who looked not unlike the young woman.

He put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.

"Hey, Peridot." he greeted her, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"Hey dad," she replied, leaning against him as they walked, feeling safer by his side.

"How was your day?" he asked, smiling down at her.

She looked up to respond to him, anger twinkling in her eyes from thinking about the injustice of the system. Noticing that, her father cut her off before she could speak, looking around quickly to see a few guards nearby.

He lowered his voice before speaking again.

"Actually, let's save this conversation for when we get home."


	2. Chapter 2

Two sets of footsteps hurried along once they were clear of the factory doors, quickly making their way deep into the working-class district, passing through dirty alleys and by run-down houses. Peridot tried not to look at it, ashamed of the world she lived in. The working-class district was basically the slums of the city, large families in houses too small and falling apart, unable to afford any better.

Peridot's family was no exception. She and her father came to a stop in front of their run-down home, Peridot looking sadly up at the warped boards, peeling paint and the sagging roof, held up on the inside by a beam. She looked down at her feet, unable to look any longer, waiting as her dad fumbled for his keys.

She shuffled inside once her dad finally unlocked the door, untying her apron and pulling the goggles off of her head, rubbing at the welt it had left in her skin. She hung her work gear on a tarnished hook on the wall before untying and kicking off her shoes, leaving them sitting by the front door.

A wave of exhaustion hit her rather suddenly, fatigue dragging at her limbs and pulling a yawn from her. The couch had never looked more inviting.

She flopped face-first down onto the threadbare couch, characterized by soot-stains and patches, like most of everything else they owned.

A muffled groan rose from Peridot, one of irritation and despair, laying there for a few seconds before sitting up. Her father sat down beside her, the frame creaking a little. He put his arm around her shoulder, and she leaned against him, taking comfort in his presence.

"Welcome home!"

The voice made both Peridot and her father turn to look in the direction it came from, their gaze landing on a short woman with hair up in a frizzy bun and wearing a stained cooking apron over patched-up clothes.

"Hey, mom." Peridot greeted as her mom rushed over and placed a kiss on her cheek, eking out a little smile as her mom gave a kiss to her dad as well.

"I've been thinking about making dinner, what do y'all have in mind?"

Peridot mentally went through the list of things that they had on hand, which really wasn't much.

"Maybe... vegetable soup?" she suggested. She and the rest of her family were tired of the same damn foods all the time, but all they could really get their hands on was cheap canned food, and no matter what you tried to do with them, it got old after a while. This time her mom had made a huge batch of vegetable soup, putting them in jars and canning them for later.

"I can do that."

"Thanks, mom."

Her mom opened a cabinet and pulled out a few sealed jars of soup before opening and pouring them into a small pot and heating it over a small coal-powered stove.

"So, how was your day?" she called over to the others.

"Awful," Peridot mumbled, her anger bubbling up again. "I'm so tired of the government and the rich exploiting us and giving us nothing in return! We don't deserve to have to live like this. Too bad it's only the poor that have hearts."

"What happened? You're usually not this grumpy." her father replied.

"I was a few minutes late because of something out of my control, so they sent me to the overseer, who docked my pay for today, and threatened to replace me."

"That's awful, honey," her mom interjected.

"Yeah... he said 'You'd better be glad your punishment isn't worse!' or something like that..."

"At least it's not too bad..." her dad commented, trying to brighten her mood.

Peridot grumbled a little, but said nothing else, choosing to stare at the few knick-knacks lining a shelf on the far wall.

"If it's any comfort, I'm sorry that you had a bad day." her mom joined in, pulling the pot off the stove and setting it aside while she grabbed a ladle and 3 bowls. "Dinner's ready."

Peridot let out a small sigh as her dad patted her on the shoulder a few times, prompting her to sit up and let him stand. She stood with a small grunt, walking over to the kitchen, if you could even call it that.

She plopped down in one of the seats at the spindly and worn table, it looking as if it'd break at any moment.

A bowl of soup and a spoon was sat down in front of her, and she picked up the spoon as another bowl was handed to her dad. When her mom had sat down with her own, the three ate in relative silence, the occasional clink of a spoon against a bowl providing the only break in the blanket of silence that had settled over them.

Peridot was the first to finish her food, standing up and taking her dishes over to the sink, placing them gently down in it before returning to the couch, tracing a soot stain with her finger. The silence was becoming unbearable, and she needed something to take her mind off the day.

"Can I turn on the radio?" she asked, gesturing freely towards it.

"Sure, hon, we could do with some music to break the silence." her mom replied, standing up to put her own dishes in the sink.

Peridot approached the radio, fiddling with it and turning knobs until it sparked to life and sound started playing through the tinny speakers.

"There we go." she murmured before returning to the couch and relaxing, closing her eyes as her exhaustion returned. All of the stress from her life manifested in dark circles and bags under her eyes, making her look at least 5 years older than she actually was.

The couch sagged a little as her mom joined her there, prompting her to look over. There was a kind, loving smile on her face, and she held her arms open as an invitation to lean on her. Peridot took the invitation, smiling a little as she relaxed in her mother's arms, and sighed as she looked down at the threadbare carpet.

"What's wrong?" her mom asked with slight concern.

"I'm tired." Peridot murmured.

"You can go to bed, honey, you don't have to stay up!"

Peridot shifted a little in her mom's embrace before replying, "Well, while I am tired in that sense, it's more of the fact that I'm tired of being treated like garbage just for existing."

Her mom said nothing at that and only pulled her closer, trying to provide what little comfort she could.

Peridot started humming along to the song that was playing on the radio, closing her eyes and relaxing in her mother's comforting hold.

The crinkling of a newspaper alerted her, prompting her to lift her head and look in the direction of her father, him having finished washing the dishes. He held a newspaper in his hand as he made his way over to the old armchair, sitting down with a grunt. He opened the paper up, allowing Peridot to see the headline, sprawling across the page in large letters. It read: 'Factory Accident Kills 33, Leaves 48 Others Wounded'.

Peridot made a mental note to read the article later.

_I can only deal with so much negativity in one day._

She glanced out the small window, able to tell that the sun was setting, not that she could actually see it. The only indication of such was that the sky was gradually dimming, as the smog in the air was so dense to where sunlight struggled to reach the city below. The city was under perpetually gray skies, and had been for as long as anybody could remember.

Her gaze drifted away from the window to land on the clock sitting on the shelf, its antique face telling her that it was nearly 7 pm.

She let out another small sigh before closing her eyes again, listening to the tinny voice coming from the speakers of the rickety little radio.

Although as exhausted as she was, she couldn't help but be a little fidgety, opting to sit up briefly before rising to her feet, pacing around a few times before stopping in front of their coal-powered furnace. It looked a little low to her, so she tossed a few shovel-fulls of coal into the furnace, sparks flying up as the new fuel made contact with what was already there. She shut the door and put the shovel back before making a few more rounds, pacing around the kitchen table before coming to a stop near the hallway that led to the only other three rooms in the house.

Refueling the furnace had served as a reminder that she was still covered in the grime and sweat from her workday, leaving her suddenly feeling sticky and gross.

Peridot turned and looked over her shoulder to ask, "Do y'all mind if I shower?"

Her dad looked up from the newspaper before he shook his head quickly and added, "Nope, go ahead," with her mother echoing the affirmation.

"Cool, thanks."

Peridot stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind her with her foot before reaching up to unbutton her shirt. When it hung open to reveal a dark tank top, she took off her work pants, nearly falling over in the process, and kicked them to the side to wash later.

Her reflection in the cracked and worn mirror caught her eye, causing her to take a step back and look at herself, from her short stature to her stocky build to the worn and patched clothes on her back. She shrugged her shirt off before examining her face more closely to see the dark circles and bags under her eyes from exhaustion, the smattering of freckles on her face and shoulders, and the multitude of scars on her arms and shoulders she'd earned from her decade blacksmithing at the factory.

Shaking her head, she stepped away from the mirror, unable to look at herself any longer.

She started the shower before shedding the rest of her clothes, stepping in when the water was warm enough to bear.

It didn't take her long to bathe, not wasting time singing or thinking or trying to scrub off the soot stains that had been ground into her skin long ago from her grueling work.

She shut off the water with a sigh, and wrapped a towel around herself before stepping out, the cold air hitting her skin and sending a shiver down her spine. Water dripped off of her as she quickly made her way into her room, shutting the door before quickly drying herself off and tossing comfortable bedclothes on. She suppressed another shiver as a draft hit her, the cold affecting her more due to her still-damp hair.

She grabbed a small blanket before returning to the living room, wrapping it around her shoulders before sitting down on the couch again, the warmth from the furnace and her family in the room helping ward off the cold and lift her mood a little.

She drew into herself slightly, pulling her knees close to her body as she let out a yawn. Closing her eyes, she rested her head on her knees for a bit, just listening to the radio and the occasional sounds her parents made. She drifted in and out of sleep for a little bit, dozing slightly until her mom lightly shook her.

"Hey, you can go to bed, you know."

Peridot bit back a yawn, lifting her head off of her knees and stretching, her legs now sore from being held close to her body for so long.

"Mmm... what time is it?" she asked, looking over at the small clock. Squinting, she made out that it was 10 after 11, and made a noise of surprise.

"Holy shit, I was dozing for that long? It couldn't have been later than 9 when I got back out here!"

Her mom just chuckled. "Well, we're going to bed, and I figured that you should too."

Peridot nodded in agreement before replying, "Sounds good to me."

She yawned as she stood up, getting her bearings for a moment before approaching her room, the air inside cold in comparison to the warmth in the living room.  
The room was small, but it was hers, and that's what mattered most to her. Sure, the draft and the cracks running up the walls and through the ceiling bothered her, and while she wished she had better, she was glad that she had a space to call her own.

Her thin socks did little to keep the cold of the floor from seeping in and leaching the heat, but she paid it no mind as she took her glasses off and set them on the little side table, it featuring a lopsided drawer and peeling paint. She crawled into bed, the sheets rough against her skin and offering little to shield her from the cold. In response, she'd piled blankets and quilts on top, and that had seemed to do the trick.

Despite the roughness of the sheets and the fact that her bed wobbled a little, it felt like the most comfortable thing in the world at that moment. She closed her eyes, and it wasn't long before she fell into the clutches of sleep.

 

\-------

 

Soft light spilled though the windows set in the double doors at the entrance of the small shop, illuminating the fabrics that lined the walls and were stacked on tables, a rainbow of color in the bleak and gray world. A small jingle would ring out when the door was opened, a small alert to the person behind the counter that kept watch over the shop.

Lapis' blue hair wasn't out of place among the textiles, vibrant and soft as she twirled her hair around one finger, distracted. She lifted her head as the door opened with a jingle, a short woman wearing a simple blue dress stepping in, her long pale blue hair tied behind her in a loose braid.

Lapis recognized her instantly.

"Hey, Sapphire! How have you been doing?" she called over, a smile crossing her face.

"Running the shop again today, Lapis?"

Lapis shrugged before answering, "Yeah, somebody's gotta do it."

"Well, you always do a good job," Sapphire replied with a smile.

Lapis blushed a little before responding, "Anything for my regulars!"

Sapphire nodded and went along, browsing among the fabrics that they had stocked.

"So, did you hear about the factory accident?" Sapphire called from across the room.

Lapis blinked in surprise. She'd heard of it, but hadn't gotten any details.

"I've heard about it but not much."

"33 people died, and 48 were wounded, and guess what, the injured workers weren't excused from duty, so I've heard."

Lapis was stunned. "That's terrible... and the injured workers weren't excused from duty?"

"Yeah, apparently they were given desk jobs until they recover."

"Wow..." Lapis paused for a second. "That...that doesn't sit right with me."

"I know, it doesn't seem right. You'd think they'd get at least some time off to recover."

"Yeah..."

The feeling of happiness from seeing her friend had been replaced by a feeling of unease.

_Are the Diamonds really that cruel?_

She shook her head quickly, trying to disperse the thoughts.

Silence fell between them as Sapphire went back to looking through their stocks. She hummed a little as she looked, seemingly having a hard time finding what she was looking for.

"Hey, you seem low on certain fabrics today. Usually you restock today right?"

Lapis looked around. "Yeah, we do... I wonder where the runner is with today's shipment form. They're late."

Just then, the door behind the counter opened, and her mom appeared, coming halfway into the room. She was a tall, tanned woman, long brown hair tied back into a loose ponytail, sporting a loose t-shirt and jeans.

"Hey, Lapis, we just got word from the warehouse that the runner can't make it. So, one of us is gonna have to go sign the form ourselves."

"I'll go," Lapis offered, standing up from her spot at the counter.

"Do you know what to do when you get there?" her mom asked.

"I just sign the paper and smile a bit, right?"

"You sign the paper saying we approved the shipment, yes."

Lapis nodded. "Okay."

She followed her mom into the back of the shop to grab a light jacket before she headed out. She made her way back through the front of the store, passing Sapphire on the way out.

"It was nice seeing you, Sapphire!" she called to her friend before stepping out into the world. The gloomy gray sky only added to Lapis' earlier unease, but she ignored it as she made her way to the warehouse, her jacket draped over her arm. It wasn't too far away, as she and her family lived towards the edge of town and away from the factory. The warehouse sat near the docks, a large and oppressive-feeling building. She shuddered a little as she approached the entrance before stepping inside.

The inside was enormous, with 50-ft ceilings and steel girders, housing more products than she had ever seen in her life. She gaped at all the things that she had never seen before, obviously imported from the outside world. Workers scurried around, barking orders at each other, moving things and preparing them for shipment, but something felt off to her.

A voice broke her out of her thoughts.

"Ma'am, is there something you need?" a tired-looking woman was speaking to her. Her hair was frizzy and haphazardly stuffed under her hat and her eyes looked cold and dead, accompanied by dark circles and bags under them.

_Not tired, but exhausted. She looks dead on her feet!_

"Uh... yes! I'm Lapis Lazuli, here to sign for a shipment to Textile Pile."

"Ah, yes, Lazuli. I'm sorry you had come all the way down here, our runner didn't come in to work today. The poor girl is probably ill."

The woman led her to a small office overlooking the workers and products below, before knocking on the door and opening it slightly.

"Sir, Lapis Lazuli is here to sign off for a shipment."

"Let her in, then, I've got the form right here."

The worker pushed the door all the way open to reveal a sharply dressed man sitting behind a mahogany desk, with the form she needed to sign sitting on top of it.

Somehow, this man unnerved her. She didn't know what exactly it was, but it had something to do with the way he looked at her. It seemed... predatory, almost.

She reluctantly stepped in, leaving the door open behind her. She didn't want to be alone with this man. While she didn't know who he was in particular, she knew that he was one of the higher-ups under the Diamond Authority. Then it hit her what the look in his eyes was.

_He's power-hungry._

She took a deep breath to steel herself before speaking, and despite the fear that gripped her, her voice was surprisingly steady.

"I'm here to sign off for the shipment to Textile Pile."

"Yes, yes. Textiles, hmm?" he mused as he slid the form over to her.

_He's trying to make small-talk._

"Yes, we run a fabric shop in town." she answered, grabbing a pen and scrawling her signature on it as fast as she could, desperate to leave.

"We'll have the shipment to you later today." he almost purred, sending a shiver down Lapis' spine.

"Yes, thank you."

She nodded quickly before hastily leaving the office, hugging herself as she neared the entrance to the warehouse. However, before she left, she noticed that every single one of the workers looked almost dead on their feet. They all had a hollow look in their eyes and now she understood why the runner was sick, why she always looked tired, even when she'd denied it on the runs up to the shop for their signatures.

She was sick because they were working her to death.

Horrified, Lapis hurried out of the warehouse and almost ran back to the shop, desperate to get as far away as possible from that daylight nightmare.

She stepped back into the shop, the little jingle of the bell familiar to her. Her heart was pounding in her chest from her desperate run back to the shop, and she hoped that she didn't look scared, as to not freak out anyone else that might be in the shop.

There was nobody else there, thankfully, except her mom, who was sitting behind the counter. She looked up as Lapis entered, alarmed, and stood quickly before rushing over to her daughter.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Lapis forced herself to calm down before responding, "I don't like the warehouse. There's something off about it."

"You're okay, though, right?"

Lapis nodded, taking a deep breath to steady herself. "Yeah, I'm okay."

Her mom nodded and held her arms out a little, offering a hug, which Lapis accepted, wrapping her arms around her mother, her fear starting to melt away as she felt her mom's arms around her, slowly rubbing her back.

After a few seconds she pulled back, grateful for her mother's love and support.

"Also, the shipment is gonna come by a little later." Lapis relayed, once her fear had subsided.

"Great! Just in time to restock for tomorrow!"

Lapis nodded absently, trying not to think about what she had just witnessed.

"Are you sure you're okay? You should take the rest of the day off." her mother offered, concern evident in her expression.

"You sure?" Lapis asked, "I don't want to leave if you need me here."

"I'm sure. Go back home and rest, okay?"

A small smile crossed Lapis' face. "Okay, thank you. I love you, mom."

"I love you too, honey."

Lapis went into the back room to grab her personal belongings, gathering them quickly before using the back door to leave the shop. She hurriedly walked back home, still unnerved and spooking at every shadow.

Relief washed over her as her house entered her field of view, a large, well-maintained home with a wide porch and white railings tracing the edge in order to keep people from falling into the neatly-trimmed shrubs below. The light blue siding stood out against the gray sky, yet blended in with the soft colors of neighborhood, making the house that rose two stories tall feel softer, somehow.

She climbed the brick steps that led up the porch, coming to a stop before a solid mahogany door set with a gold-plated handle and lock.

While Lapis felt safe in and near her home, she still fumbled for her keys, unlocking the door with haste before sidling in and shutting the door behind her, being sure to lock it.  
She felt some of her anxiety melt away from the familiarity of her home, soft light reflecting off the polished wood floor and glowing on the walls, illuminating the house with a welcoming luminescence.

Before proceeding further into the house, she slipped off her shoes, leaving them by the front door. While she felt safe and her heart rate was slowing, she still couldn't shake that feeling of unease as she walked upstairs towards her room.

_Mom told me to rest, but I don't want to just lay around all evening. Hmm..._

She stopped in the middle of the hallway as an idea struck her.

_You know what? I'll take a bath. It'll be just what I need._

The idea of soaking her troubles away in warm water and floral-scented suds sounded nice, allowing her to relax and rest, without the feeling of laying around and doing nothing.

A faint smile showed itself as she headed towards the master bathroom, ready to sink down into the seemingly bottomless tub, with enough room to sprawl out comfortably, or for two to share.

The soft, comforting scents of lavender and mint rose around her and filled the bathroom as she ran the water, suds rising as the tub filled up.

She looked into the mirror of the two-person vanity, studying her features as she waited for the tub to fill. From blue hair, an undercut, pale freckling on her face, and her large nose, she appreciated every one of her features, as she felt that they made her unique. She stepped back to admire her body, curvy and tall, yet a little chubby. She didn't mind the extra weight, believing that it made her soft and much cuddlier. Under her crop top, a teardrop was tattooed in the middle of her upper back, along with feathery blue wings spanning over her shoulder blades and down the back of both of her upper arms, inked with precision and skill. With a smile, she stepped back and turned her attention back to the tub.

She shed her clothes when the bath was ready, stepping in and sighing in comfort as the warmth of the water caressed her body and its curves, sinking deep into the suds until the water covered her lightly freckled and tattooed shoulders.

The tension in her body ebbed away as she closed her eyes and leaned back, allowing the horrors that she'd seen that day slip her mind for the time being.

 

She wasn't sure how much time had passed since she'd gotten in the bath, but the sounds of her parents returning from the shop alerted her, bringing her to the attention to the cooling water, and the fact that most of the suds had disappeared.

Pulling the plug on the drain, she let the tub empty, stepping out onto a small bath mat laid beside it before stepping into the shower to quickly rinse off the soapy water, and to wash her face and hair.

It wasn't long before she was done, pulling a towel out of the closet to wrap herself in before she returned to her room to get dressed.

The smell of dinner being cooked downstairs made her mouth water and her stomach growl, eliciting a small chuckle. She hadn't realized how hungry she'd been. Wasting no time, she dried her hair and threw on some pajamas before quickly descending the stairs to greet her parents and welcome them home.

"Hey mom, hey dad!" she called out when she'd made it to the bottom of the stairs, walking into the kitchen to see what they were making for dinner.

"Hey, Lapis, how are you feeling?" her mom asked, looking over at her from her position at the stove. There was a large pot filled with water, a small pan with sauce bubbling in it, and a skillet with shrimp cooking in it.

"I'm feeling better. Thanks for letting me come back earlier." Lapis responded, thankful for her mother's kindness.

"That's good! I'm glad." she turned to stir a pot of noodles on the stove before continuing, "So, what'd you get up to?"

"I took a bath, relaxed for a while to take my mind off things."

"That sounds lovely." her mom responded with a smile.

"It was!" Lapis chuckled before turning her attention to her dad, who was chopping lettuce and other vegetables for the salad they'd have with their dinner. She went over to stand beside him, watching as he quickly and skillfully prepared the salad. He was slightly shorter and heavier than her mom, with scruffy black hair and a 5 o'clock shadow, and was wearing a small apron over his everyday clothes.

"Your mother told me what happened earlier, and I'm glad you're okay." her father said, looking over at her and stopping what he was doing in favor of pulling Lapis into a side-hug.

She returned the hug quickly before pulling away and asking, "So, what's for dinner?"

"We're making seafood pasta. Well, your mother is, I'm just making the side salad!" her dad chuckled.

Lapis couldn't help but smile at that.

"Alright, dinner's ready!" her mom called out, turning the burners on the stove off, and stepping back to grab a plate off the table, which had been set before Lapis had come downstairs.

Lapis grabbed her own plate and waited patiently until her mom had served herself before taking what she wanted, making sure to leave enough for her dad. She and her mom waited to begin eating until her dad sat down at the table, a silence falling over them as they ate, only broken by the sounds of their forks on their plates.

Lapis was the first to finish, standing to take her dishes to the sink, gently putting them in to be washed later. She then made her way to the living room and plopped down on the couch, turning on their little television, pictures moving in black and white.

She was getting drowsy now that she was full, but forced herself to stay awake so she could sleep when she went to bed later.

Her parents soon joined her, sitting on either side of her, attention on the show playing on the tv, which seemed to be a sitcom of some sort.

They watched tv for a while, spending time together as a family. Lapis felt content, and not to mention, sleepy. She stifled a yawn as she looked at the time, letting out a noise of surprise when she saw how late it was.

"I'm sleepy. I'm gonna go to bed." Lapis stood and stretched, letting out another yawn. "I love you, 'night!"

Her parents echoed her as she left the room and went upstairs, only stopping to brush her teeth before flopping into bed.

Despite how tired she was, sleep evaded her. She tossed and turned, the memories of the warehouse occupying her thoughts once more, now that she didn't have a distraction.

She felt bad for those workers, being obviously mistreated and worked nearly to death. The fact that such cruelty was happening under the oversight of the Diamonds is what hit her the most, when they could afford to treat their employees so much better.

_They don't deserve any of the cruelty they're going through._

However, there wasn't anything she could do about it.

With a sigh of sorrow, she turned onto her side, pulled the covers tight around her, and closed her eyes, sleep eventually finding her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im so sorry for taking this long

A brisk wind blew through the alley in which Lapis walked, leading her to draw her long coat tightly around her. It reminded her of the first time she had done this, except now she was much more prepared, and knew what to expect. Despite that, she still felt that pang of uneasiness, that little fear that she'd be stood up or caught by the guards.

She made haste, walking along the alley towards her workshop, dodging lights and sticking to the shadows. She still had that little voice in the back of her mind, whispering to her all of her fears, but she pushed it back, shaking her head. She needed to do this.

The workshop loomed ahead, dark and intimidating, a sole light illuminating the doorstep. A shiver ran down her spine despite having been there many, many times before, night and day.

She slowed a little as she approached the workshop, looking around warily. She was the only person here.

_Good._

Now to wait. She settled down into the shadows, keeping still and quiet.

That same brisk wind blew through the alley again, drawing out another shiver, despite the warm trenchcoat that she wore.

_I wonder what my parents would think if they found out that I'm doing this? Building a plane, trying to escape the city, making black market deals..._

She looked up and watched little moths and other bugs buzz around the light that illuminated the doorstep to the workshop, it momentarily drawing her attention away from the situation at hand. She could relate, in a way. She wanted so desperately to escape the city, to get to the metaphorical light, that she was hitting the glass walls of obstacles that could easily kill her.

_But, these obstacles are traverse-able - unlike the lightbulb, whose glass you'll never get past - and I will get over them to finish what I've started._

A small yawn caught her by surprise, yet it wasn't really surprising, as she had spent many a sleepless night staring up at the ceiling, fretting about the fate of the harried and bone-weary warehouse workers, in addition to spending all night working on her plane at other times.

A quiet rumbling sound alerted her to the other end of the alley. Her heart leapt when she saw the trio from before, but this time, the two bodyguards were hauling a blanketed mass on a makeshift wagon, the leader nodding at her as they made eye contact.

At that, Lapis rummaged in her pockets, her hand closing around the wad of cash she'd brought. When the trio had stopped in front of her, she pulled the money out of her pocket and offered it to the leader, who in turn, took it and thumbed through the stack. When satisfied, he nodded and the bodyguards hauled the wagon around to one of two garages, that of which opened into the alley. With a nod from Lapis, they opened the garage as quietly as possible, revealing the partially built metal frame of the plane, before hauling the wagon inside for her to make use of what she'd just bought. She followed them in before closing the garage behind her, that being a signal for the bodyguards to uncover what was on the wagon.

It was an engine block. Lapis brought over an engine block crane and attached it to the block, lifting it off the wagon and wheeling it over to the frame of the plane.  
"Thanks." she whispered to the trio, who nodded in return.

"We were never here." the leader whispered before turning and leaving as quickly as they had arrived, the door of the workshop clicking quietly as it closed behind them, leaving Lapis alone in the workshop.  
   
\------  
   
Small cracks spanning across the ceiling greeted Peridot as she woke, the reason for waking not for work or caused by work-related stress, for the first time in a while.  
She blinked blearily a few times as she yawned and rubbed her eyes, sitting up slowly to adjust to the sensation of being awake. A few minutes passed as she woke up more, before she put on her glasses and moved to get out of bed.

The floor was cold on her bare feet, causing her to quickly draw them away before gingerly setting them back down and suppressing a shiver.

Knowing that she didn't have to work that day made getting up all the easier, a silver lining in the gray skies that hung over her. The cold draft that constantly blew through her room made its way down the back of her bedshirt, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and goosebumps rise on her skin.

The smell of cooking food drew her towards the kitchen, and her stomach growled sympathetically. It drew a chuckle from her, and she followed the scent, it leading her into the significantly warmer kitchen, where her mom was standing at the stove, cooking sausage patties, hash browns, and eggs.

"Morning, 'dot!" her mom called from where she was standing, as Peridot moved from the doorway to sit at the small table. The small chair creaked as she sat down, a plate and utensils already set out in front of her.

"Morning, mom." she returned, looking around at the small, but well-lit room. Her dad was sitting on the couch, reading the newspaper from a few days ago, leaving the one that she made a mental note to read last night sitting on a side table.

She stood up from her chair and crossed the room to grab the newspaper, unfurling it as she sat back down at the table, quickly reading the headlining article.

**_Factory Accident Kills 33, Leaves 48 Others Wounded_ **

_Towards the end of the workday on Tuesday, rebel forces were seen sabotaging equipment on the upper floors of the factory, where glassware and fine goods are produced. When spotted, they made a run for it, leaving explosives to cover their tracks and to impede guards from catching them in the act._

_Said explosives killed 33 workers, and injured another 48..._

Peridot closed her eyes and shuddered. She had been there that day, while she hadn't been on the floor where the event had happened, she'd felt the shock from the blast shake her and her station, metal rattling and the dull sound of the explosion heard for miles.

Her dad had found her quickly, and they had fled, abandoning their stations, following the herd of workers running for their lives.

For once, they hadn't been punished for not meeting quotas.

She opened her eyes again to continue reading.

_...as well as causing extensive damage to the factory and the equipment, which will delay production. The injured workers will be given desk jobs until they fully recover, upon which, they will return to regular work._

Peridot blinked a few times and brought the paper closer to her face, squinting, and mouth falling open in outrage.

_Will be given desk jobs?? They don't even get time off at all to rest?_

She continued reading, despite knowing that the rest would only make her angrier.

_A factory overseer, who has asked to remain anonymous, has commented on the situation. She said, 'We hope to have the factory running at full efficiency once more, and to any rebels, any further attempts at sabotage will be met with no mercy.'_

Peridot closed the paper with more force than necessary, crumpling it a little bit before standing and turning to walk over to their furnace. She shoved the paper inside and watched it catch on fire, and took a small comfort in watching the paper burn to ash.

"Breakfast is ready!" her mom called from where she was standing, prompting Peridot to return to where she had been sitting at the table. Her mom brought the food over, sitting down opposite her as her dad walked over to join them as well.

Peridot took her share of food before starting to eat, trying to think about anything but what she'd just read. Her mom noticed her foul mood and tried to lighten the atmosphere.

"So, Dottie, have any plans for today?"

Peridot blushed at the nickname before answering,

"I'm gonna go out into town today, maybe check out the new open-air movie place, I've heard it's actually pretty cheap!"

"That's great, honey! I'm glad you're taking some time to yourself and to get your mind off work." her dad replied, giving her a smile.

"Yeah, I figured it'd do me some good to get out and relax a bit." she replied, taking a bite of her food.

_It'll get me out of the house and away from the factory, so..._

The family ate together, exchanging casual banter and talking about other plans for the day, only interrupted when Peridot stood to put her plate in the sink.

"I'm gonna go get dressed." she told them before walking to her room, shivering slightly as the draft hit her when she stepped in, the drastic temperature change catching her off-guard.

She opened the doors to her closet and sighed at the drabness of it, her wardrobe consisting mainly of jeans and white collared button-up shirts sporting soot-stains and patches.

Not having a lot of choice in her outfit, she pulled on a pair of dark jeans and buttoned up one of her nicer shirts before grabbing a pair of socks and her one pair of sneakers.  
She returned to the living room and called over to her parents, "Okay, I'm heading out, I'll see you later!"

Both of her parents returned in kind, wishing her well as she left.

The gray sky greeted her as she stepped outside, and made her way through the maze-like slums, just letting her feet take her wherever they wanted to go. She looked down at the ground, avoiding looking at the world she lived in, ashamed of the short stick that she'd drawn in life.

With a sigh, she realized that she had finally exited the slums, and cast her gaze around her. She was still in the working-class district, but in the higher-end part. Run-down apartments greeted her, undesirable, yet it would be an upgrade to her life in the slums.

_How sad, that I envy the upper working class._

Peridot shook her head and tried to remember where the open-air theater had been setting up shop. With a few seconds of thought, she set off slowly in the direction of the theater, her path not straying from the district.

On her way there, she saw a few familiar faces, although none of them stopped to spare a passing glance, too caught up in their own troubles.

_I understand._

Finally, the theater came into view, although calling it a theater was a bit of an overstatement. In the small ticket booth, a young woman sat there, looking bored and twiddling her thumbs.

"Uh... Hi?" Peridot called out to her, the woman looking up at the sound of her voice.

"Oh, hello!" she responded quickly.

"Could you tell me the show times for tonight?"

"Of course, the first film starts at 8:30, right after sunset."

Peridot nodded and replied, "Thank you!" before heading off to wander the district.

It didn't take too long for her to get bored of that, and for the longing to see how her life could have been had she been born wealthier, or even more, to see the outside world, to guide her towards the edge of town and through the richer districts.

She set off, looking at the dingy apartments around her and watched as they blended into small houses on dirt lots sporting patches of scrubby grass, and into the nicer houses and well-kept lawns of the merchant-class district. A flash of dark blue caught her eye, causing her to turn quickly, but by the time she had looked, it was gone. Instead, what she saw was a large, pale blue house with a mahogany door and well-kept white railings on the porch.

For some reason, it didn't feel as oppressive the others did. She shook her head and turned to continue, deciding to not waste time staring at the displays of other people's wealth.

As she progressed, she got more and more nervous, and felt smaller and smaller. She felt like she didn't belong, and she was right.

She _didn't_ belong there.

Peridot shook her head quickly before hunching her shoulders and continuing into the disgustingly wealthy upper-class district. Huge gated estates with beautiful lawns and shrubbery complimenting the lavish mansions that these people could afford to have.

It made her almost nauseous to look at it.

She scoffed under her breath and continued pressing onward, past the revolting displays of immense wealth, and finally let her posture relax as she left the residential area and entered the vast parks that separated the mansions from the wall, keeping it out of sight, and out of mind for them. Continuing onward, she let the lush and well-maintained vegetation hide her until it started to thin out, signalling that she was approaching the town boundary.

It towered fifty feet above her head, topped with barbed wire spirals and separated from the parks by multiple chain-link fences topped with their own barbed wire. Guardposts also sat at regular intervals along the top of it, ensuring that nobody even got close.

Peridot lurked a few hundred feet away from the first fence, still in the cover of the trees.

_There has to be a world beyond. Why else would the wall be so heavily guarded?_

She looked towards one of the guardposts. A guard stood sentry, looking at the treeline, making sure nobody tried to make a break for it, not that anyone could ever make it past. Her gaze then traveled up to the sky, which was a dingy gray as always, with a slightly brighter circle telling her where the sun was, it having already started its descent in the sky.

_Maybe one day I'll get to see it..._

She shook her head.

_No. Nobody has ever escaped before, what makes you think that you could do it?_

With an almost inaudible sigh, she turned away from the wall and headed back towards the center of town, watching as the wealth trickled away the further she went.

Once more she was in the working class district, surrounded by the squalor that existed from the cruelty of those above them. By then, the sun was gone, and the rapidly-darkening sky prompted her to head back to the theater, now that the sun was setting. A line had formed at the theater, starting at the ticket booth and stretching a good ways down the block.

_Wow, I didn't expect it to be this packed._

She raised an eyebrow and stepped into line, digging around in her pockets for her wallet. As she searched, a tap on her shoulder made her flinch and turn around, relaxing when she saw the stout form of Amethyst grinning at her.

"Amethyst! It's good to see you." Peridot exclaimed, a smile appearing on her face for the first time that day.

"I'm glad I ran into you, P-dot, because I'm throwing a party at my place tonight and I wanted to invite you!"

"Oh, wow, thanks, Amethyst!" she paused for a moment before asking, "If you're throwing a party, then why are you in the line for a movie?"

Amethyst chuckled before opening her bag to reveal a bottle of wine.

"I figured I'd pregame, and nothing's more fun than pregaming with friends, if you're up for it."

"Hell yeah, I am."

Amethyst closed her bag as Peridot stepped up to buy her ticket, which, to her relief, was only a few dollars. She took the ticket that was handed to her with a "Thanks", and waited for Amethyst to join her before finding a spot on the ground to sit.

"So, what movie are we even watching? I didn't look to see." she looked around, as if her surroundings would give her any answers.

"It's on our tickets, dummy." Amethyst held up her ticket to show her.

"Right, I knew that." Peridot mumbled with an embarrassed blush tinging her face pink.

"I think it's some dumb romance film." Amethyst made a face. "At least we'll be drunk."

"Dumb movies are always more tolerable when drunk."

"Agreed." Amethyst pulled the bottle of wine out of her bag, retrieved the bottle opener and pulled the cork out with a pop. She took a drink from the bottle before handing it off to Peridot who examined the bottle for a second before turning to look at her friend.

"Moscato? I thought you liked drier wines."

"I do. I just figured I'd treat myself to a sweet wine this time."

"That's fair." Peridot said with a shrug before turning the bottle up and drinking a bit to get her started. She then handed the bottle back to Amethyst, making a face when a man and a woman kissed onscreen.

"Eugh. Its a straight romance."

Amethyst snorted and drawled in a playfully mocking tone, "Don't you want a man to come and sweep you off your feet?"

Peridot rolled her eyes and scoffed, a twinkle in her eyes.

"Hardly. I'm a lesbian through and through!"

Amethyst broke off from drinking the wine, chuckling before patting Peridot on the shoulder. "We know, Peri."

"Damn right!"

That drew another chuckle out of Amethyst before they fell silent, watching the movie with an air of playful disdain, passing the bottle of wine back and forth.

Peridot scoffed as the woman proclaimed her love for the man, muttering, "You just met him like.... two, no, three days ago! You don't love him! Just get yourself a girlfriend."  
In her growing tipsiness, she let out a giggle at her own commentary before taking another drink.

"Is this the kind of shit rich people enjoy?" Amethyst asked.

"Ew."

"Ew for sure."

Another silence fell between them as the movie continued, it's shittiness actually becoming borderline enjoyable for the two tipsy women.

"Oh c'mon! Y'all are getting married? Y'all've known each other for all of... uh... six? six months!" Peridot tossed her hands up in a gesture of exasperation.

"Don't worry 'bout it dude, it's just straights... people. Straight people. They're just like that."

By then, the pair had finished the wine and the bottle had somehow been tucked back into Amethyst's bag. The credits then began to roll on the screen, prompting the pair to stand, stumbling a few times and having to use the other as a prop.

"Well, that's... thats two hours of my life that I'll never get back." Amethyst commented as they left the theater and started to head back to the slums.

"Same."

"Now let's get to that party. We can't leave everyone waiting!" 


End file.
